Tarkov Wipe Struggles with Glitches and Flea Market Bug

The launch of Escape from Tarkov’s latest wipe and patch has been far from smooth, plagued by a host of technical issues that have caused frustration among players. While the new content introduced in the update has generally been well-received, the patch has quickly garnered criticism due to a series of glitches and bugs that have severely impacted gameplay.

Players have been reporting a variety of technical issues since the wipe went live earlier today. Many are struggling with typical server problems associated with the start of a new wipe, including long queue times and frequent disconnects. However, these issues have been compounded by more serious technical glitches. Among the most frustrating of these are the lag spikes and stutters that have affected players across the globe. This has made the game nearly unplayable for some, as the delay in response times often leads to disorienting gameplay and hinders the overall experience.

One of the more significant issues reported is the loss of gear, with many players unable to keep the items they’ve earned during raids. Server issues have caused some players to lose their gear upon extraction, while others have experienced the bizarre situation of dying during a raid only to find themselves back at the main menu with all their gear still intact. Streamer Pestily, for example, lost a LedX item due to a bug that also awarded him XP for a previous raid, leaving him with no reward for the current raid.

While the technical issues have been frustrating for many, they’re not the only problems plaguing the wipe. In the patch notes for Escape from Tarkov version 0.16.0.0, it was announced that the flea market would be temporarily closed for the first two weeks of the wipe. The decision was made to address one of the game’s most significant issues in recent wipes—rapid progression by hardcore players. The idea was to level the playing field by limiting access to rare items early on, which would slow down the progression of players who would otherwise buy their way to the top.

However, upon the wipe’s launch, players discovered that the flea market was still open for business. It appeared to be the same market from the previous wipe, with rare and valuable items available for purchase. This glitch meant that some players had access to items that were meant to be locked away for two weeks, giving them an unfair advantage. While this was later addressed by taking the game offline to wipe the flea market, players who had purchased rare items from the market were allowed to keep them. The decision to only wipe the market and not conduct a secondary wipe for these players was controversial, especially given that the issue was discovered less than 15 minutes after players first logged into the game.

During a TarkovTV stream, game director Nikita Buyanov confirmed that Escape from Tarkov was also the victim of a DDOS attack, which may have contributed to some of the server issues. The timing of this attack, however, raised some questions, as it occurred shortly after the flea market glitch was discovered. Whether the DDOS attack played a role in compounding the game’s issues or if it was merely a coincidence remains unclear.

Despite the technical difficulties, there is some hope for players who are eager to jump into the new wipe. If you have yet to start playing the new patch, it may be wise to hold off for a day or two while the development team works to resolve the issues. Once the kinks are ironed out, the experience is likely to be much smoother and less frustrating. In addition, players who wait until the end of the year may be able to earn Twitch Drops, which could provide them with valuable items to make their early raids much easier. These drops are tied to rare items, which could give players a significant advantage when they eventually dive into the game.

As with most major updates, Escape from Tarkov’s latest wipe has had its fair share of technical growing pains. While the new content and features show promise, the numerous bugs and server issues have put a damper on the experience. For now, players will need to exercise patience as the development team works to fix the bugs and smooth out the technical difficulties. Hopefully, in the coming days, the wipe will live up to the expectations set by its exciting new content and features.

In the meantime, if you’re considering jumping into Escape from Tarkov’s new wipe, it’s important to be aware of the ongoing issues. The launch has been far from perfect, but it is likely that the team at Battlestate Games will address the technical glitches over time. Players who are willing to wait will likely see a much more stable and enjoyable experience once the bugs are resolved. Until then, it’s probably best to hold off on diving in unless you’re prepared for a bumpy ride.